Logitech agrees to sell dual-branded Jabra products

Jabra and Logitech have entered into a distribution agreement that allows Logitech to offer a number of select Jabra headsets under the co-branded name "Logitech powered by Jabra." Details of the deal, such as how much money was transferred between the two companies, were not disclosed.

Starting next month, Logitech will sell select Jabra Unified Communications (UC) headsets to its channel partners and business customers, starting with the North American market. Later this year, the co-branded headsets will be rolled out globally.

The following three "Logitech powered by Jabra" products will be available in July: the Logitech BSP420 USB Speakerphone (Jabra Speak 410), the Logitech BH970 Wireless DECT Headset (Jabra Go 6430),and the Logitech BH870 Wireless Bluetooth Headset (Jabra Pro 9450). Pricing details have not yet been released.

Logitech has a better channel reach (Jabra does not currently sell products in North America) and a much more broadly known brand than Jabra, while Jabra has high-quality headsets that Logitech apparently believes are worthy of its name. It's clear that Jabra wants to make more money and piggyback on Logitech's brand, while Logitech wants to sell Jabra's products without buying the Danish company outright. We can't help but think that Jabra will benefit much more from this partnership than Logitech will.

This deal does not change any current plans. Both companies will continue to sell their own portfolio of branded products to their current channel partners.

"Jabra's intention is to be a leader in the UC space and the agreement with Logitech is an important step in achieving this," Jabra CEO Mogens Elsberg said in a statement. "We are very pleased to announce the agreement with Logitech which we believe will lead to more people using Jabra headsets for their UC solutions. Adding voice to the UC experience is one of the most important factors for a successful deployment and adoption of the technology. We expect that the combination of Jabra's quality headsets with the Logitech brand and channel reach will increase the awareness of UC headsets as a category to the benefit of both parties and the existing Jabra channel network."

"This collaboration with GN Netcom will enable Logitech to be a full solution provider for Unified Communications," Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and CEO, said in a statement. "Businesses will now have a single company for a full range of UC solutions – from the meeting room with LifeSize video conferencing end points and infrastructure products to PCs, Macs and tablets with webcams, headsets and speakerphones."